At Least 7 Residents’ Wells Contaminated by Mosaic Sinkhole

The following article by WFTS cites Dr. Brian Birky as the named expert.  Keep in mind he works for the Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute and also has other ties to the fertilizer industry.   We wonder if the Mosaic profit-makers would drink the water from these wells.    They contaminate our aquifer but they go elsewhere to try to find water to sustain their bodies.  Florida is letting industry slowing ruin our aquifer.  Mosaic is a danger to the health of people of Florida and should be shut down.  They are unable to operate safely, and we do not need their phosphate.

There are people in Bradford County who want to dig phosphate out of the ground.  If this were allowed, we would have the same problems here with our Santa Fe River and our Floridan aquifer down stream.  We must not permit this.

STOP THE MINE.

Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life:  once taken, it cannot be brought back-

At least seven private wells around Mosaic show high levels of radioactivity

Ryan Raiche

6:22 PM, Oct 14, 2016

WFTS

MULBERRY, Fla. – The results of at least seven private wells around Mosaic’s toxic sinkhole came back with elevated levels of radioactivity this week, according to the company Mosaic paid to conduct the testing.

Although alarming, experts feel confident it’s not related to the sinkhole that opened up at the end of August, spewing more than 215-million gallons of radioactive waste into the aquifer.

“Nature puts its own materials in your water and radioactivity is one of those things,” said Dr. Brian Birky, Executive Director of the Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute.

For neighbors just a couple miles away from the sinkhole, the latest results are rattling nerves.

“People get very sick. People die,” said Jim Pierce, referring to how radioactivity can affect people. “Health is one thing, death is another.”

His test results on the family’s private wells show normal readings for now. He’s anxious to find out when Mosaic will offer continuous testing.

“When me? When am I going to have to cap my well and have to start hauling water out here on a trailer,” he said.

Experts said it’s perfectly normal for ground water to contain low levels of radioactivity due to what they call “natural geology.”

In other words, water underground flows through rocks with radioactive materials, and depending on the depth of wells, some may get more than others.

Drinking over time can be hazardous.

“It’s just like rolling the dice. You may never have a health affect from this. Or you may get some sort of cancer from repeated consumption,” Dr. Birky said.

Birky hopes this environmental crisis is at least a wake-up call for everyone near and far drinking from private wells, adding that testing periodically is a good idea.

“You should know what you’re drinking and not just think well it’s natural, it’s good for me and it’s fine,” he said.